No. 216.] 359 



Great care is required in gathering and housing the crop, and 

 overhauling and assorting it during winter and spring; with such an 

 insidious enemy, and with all possible care " defective seed," is no 

 doubt often planted; and if rot follows, which in nine cases out of 

 ten it will, then " defective seed," is most likely to be the cause. 

 That the rot in question is caused by " variableness of weather," or 

 sudden changes of temperature " extremes," &c., we do not believe; 

 it is five or six years at least, since the potato rot commenced, and 

 during that period we have had two fine seasons, if not more, as 

 fine perhaps, as we ever had; when as respects temperature, there 

 was a fair balance, due proportions of heat, moisture, &c.; all the 

 other plants generally produced abundantly. 



Was the potato disease less violent these years? not at all, if any 

 thing, in some places it was more severe; if weather or change of 

 temperature were the cause, most other plants would have felt it as 

 well as the potato: whereas, this before the disease showed itself in 

 good seasons, was the most prolific of all, giving a much greater 

 yield in proportion to the quantity of seed used, than most other 

 plants. Nor do we think the comparison which Mr B. toakes, be- 

 tween the potato and some of the more delicate fruits, which grow 

 and mature above ground applicable; such as cherries, currants, 

 grapes, melons, &c. These he says, " in some unfavorable seasons 

 and situations often prove a failure,^' they are above ground, and 

 more exposed to a damp sultry atmosphere, and they ripen general- 

 ly early in the season; and most fruits, especially the delicate ones 

 after reaching maturity, or near it, and remaining any time on the 

 shrub, tree or vine on which they grow, are more liable to decay, 

 and to be afl?ected by wet foggy weather, than the potato. To 

 strengthen his ground as to the cause of the rot, he says: " it is 

 well known to all experienced gardeners, that the difficulty of rais- 

 ing early cauliflower in our climate, is such, that in the event of 

 one month extreme weather taking place, when the vegetable is near 

 maturity, its effects are so injurious that very few perfect heads can 

 be obtained, whereas in the temperate climate of England, this veg- 

 etable as well as broccoli, are as plentiful for eight or nine months 

 in the year, as our cabbages are here. We would ask whether " in 

 the temperate climate of England," (and might have added Scot- 

 land, Ireland, and some countries of the continent, for they all pos- 

 sess climates more temperate and uniform than ours;) the potato rot 

 was less violent than here, especially in seasons w.hen the broccoli, 

 cauliflower and other plants flourished there, and gave plentiful 

 crops? On the contrary it was more violent, and far more disas- 



